Clooney goes serious

Film hunk George Clooney is abandoning comedy to concentrate on serious and political movies.

After making his Hollywood name playing suave lotharios and conmen in lighthearted movies, Clooney is keen to show a more serious side to his acting abilities.

New movies Syriana, about the Cold War, and Good Night, And Good Luck, about a journalist's attempt to bring down Senator Joe McCarthy, signal the start of Clooney's new outlook.

He says: "I'm working on projects that I want to raise a debate about. I'm interested in films of the 1960s and 1970s that were political. They were born out of the civil rights, Vietnam war, and women's rights movements.

"I feel it's a good time to have the entertainment community start asking questions again."